Okay, so it’s probably not really the end of summer. But it’s not really started either – so, apples and oranges. 🙂 Anyhoo…No matter whether it’s sunny or raining in yur neighbourhood, one thing we can all do is keep smiling, right? Make our own weather and to heck with the real stuff!So, have a great weekend. Stay safe and keep smiling, guys – see you on the next page! |
Insights
Influence the Evangelists
You’re responsible for a blogger outreach program. Who do you go for – the influencers? Is this the right approach? Why aren’t you reaching for the evangelists?
Influencers take a paycheck (or some from of payment) to talk about you. They don’t always have a vested interest in your brand. They won’t necessarily tell you where to improve.
Evangelists don’t need a paycheck. By all means, give them first shot at your new goodies, but payment? Not their style. They have a vested interest in your brand. They want to see you be the best, so they’ll tell you what you’re doing wrong and where you can improve.
Influencers are for the now. Evangelists are for the now and after now.
Still want to reach the influencers?
Real People
ATM’s are automated, but you need to deal with a real person to buy a house. Phone trees are automated but you need to deal with a real person to resolve a complaint. Production lines are automated but you need a real person to sign the shipment papers.
Our processes may be becoming more automated, but we still need real people to initiate the process. Is your business recognizing your real people every day?
Is Twitter Killing Blog Comments?
If you’re a blogger, you’ll know how comments make a blog. They can take the original post into a whole new level altogether, with opposing views and discussions opening up some great viewpoints.
Personally, I’ve used the comments on some of my posts (and those on other blogs) as inspiration for new posts here. I’ll add my comment on the original post, and then expand on it with a new or slightly different take. That then opens the discussion up even further, both on the new post and the original (play fair – always link back to your inspiration).
While content may be the instigator, it’s the conversations by the community that often make the content. And maybe it’s just me, but Twitter seems to be taking more of the conversations and making them 140-character bites.
I’ve seen many great posts by some truly remarkable bloggers be tweeted, and the conversation remain on Twitter. Points and questions raised in the post start the conversation rolling, but instead of via the comments section on a blog, they take place on the little blue bird nest. And that’s a shame.
There’s nothing wrong with this, of course – after all, Twitter is the king of instant feedback and interaction. And weekly events like #journchat and #blogchat , and others like them, show just how effective a medium Twitter can be for conversations. And yet…
Imagine how much a conversation could build without the limitations of 140-characters. Imagine how opposing views could be fully fleshed out with unlimited text. Imagine how communities could be forged, and new friendships built, through the reasoning and acceptance that long tail blog comments can offer. Imagine being the catalyst or inspiration for a blog post by your favourite blogger, all from a single comment you left.
Of course, you could say that it’s down to the blogger to make the content as open as possible, to encourage discussion – and this is true. Yet at the same time, maybe we (as readers) need to take part more as well? Maybe we need to encourage bloggers more by being part of their community, as opposed to rubbernecking on Twitter?
There are a myriad of ways for conversations to take place. Sometimes little snapshots like Twitter are ideal, if you’re pressed for time. But isn’t it nice to get away from the noise at times, and relax where you have time and space to say what you really want?
What’s your take?
photo credit: Shirin K. A. Winiger
Passion Drivers
How passionate are you? Are you driven to continuously learn, or satisfied with where you are?
Do you get goosebumps talking about your job; your goals; your aim in life? Or do you accept you’re at a comfortable stage and who needs the extra work that goals bring?
I’m driven by passionate people. When someone talks to me and their eyes light up, I get excited too. I’m excited both by them and for them.
If someone is so passionate that you feel breathless with excitement and giddy with anticipation of what they’ll say next, that’s one heck of a strong statement about that person’s desire.
Here’s an example. I met with Shannon Boudjema for coffee a couple of days ago. Shannon describes herself as a “media maven, globe trotter and socially inclined”. I couldn’t have picked a better description myself.
Based in Ontario, Canada, Shannon works for one of Canada’s leading lights in marketing, advertising and event management. She writes an excellent blog, is a livewire chatterbox on Twitter and is also socially conscious (she’s said she’ll donate $100 to a local charity if a good cause reaches 500 followers on Twitter).
We met to chat about the digital space and ideas on how companies can leverage that space. Now, I like to think I’m passionate about all that emerging media has to offer, but as soon as I started talking with Shannon, her energy just flew out. She showed me slide shares she’s put together; case studies; learning ideas for multi-employee companies; and much more.
Simply put, Shannon is a one-person emerging media whiz. Her passion isn’t fake – she genuinely loves (and is excited by) all that our current space has to offer now and soon from now. And anyone she talks to can’t help but feel the same way, even if you’re skeptical of all these tools and their benefits.
Businesses need people like Shannon. There are so many that are just doing the rounds and crunching the numbers that they miss out on the real bigger picture – passion and drive. If you can harness these two qualities and combine with knowledge and reach, you might just start to wonder why you thought previous results were good.
If you want an idea just how driven Shannon is, check out this slide deck from her. Then ask who your passion driver is. Is it you, or are you currently a passenger? If it’s the latter, how will you change seats so you’re the driver? Do you want to?
